Saving 80,000 Gold: Fresh Isekai Concept, Flawed Execution

Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement

Let's go back to the winter 2023 seasonal lineup. Vinland Saga and Tokyo Revengers were among the titles that captivated anime fans. But as you know, there isn't an anime seasonal lineup without isekai titles pushing everyone away just to make way for themselves, and the same holds true in this case, too. ‘Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement’ is the show's premise. Still, the way that the title approaches the isekai concept makes this series unique, in my opinion. Sure, the show has some flaws, and they become apparent rather quickly, but it would be wrong for me to say that the show doesn't add its own hidden spice to the isekai genre. Let's find out what this title is about, why everyone's totally forgotten about it even when it aired not long ago, and whether we can accept more from the series down the road. Let's get started!

Saving 80,000 Gold: Fresh Isekai Concept, Flawed Execution | Pinnedupink.com

When Life Gives You Lemons They'll Probably Last for a While

Meet Mitsuha Yamano, a girl who doesn't look that far off from someone in the ‘Darling in the Franxx’ universe. However, it's important to remember that Mitsuha Yamano conceals a world of hurt and darkness akin to the depths of an abyss behind her beautiful smile. Nothing seems to be going right in the girl's world; at this point, she has nothing or no one she can rely on. It's all going downhill after the death of her parents, and the final nail in the coffin comes when she plummets off a cliff, about to fall off to her death. I am unsure about you, but Mitsuha Yamano in that position seems light and vanilla for someone cursed with her fate. But what do you know? It's an isekai, and she's undoubtedly coming back suddenly. But wait, what is this? This isn't the Japan we all know and love, right, Mitsuha? Well, that's because it isn't, and now, in this new world, she's like a newborn baby, knowing nothing at all. She wanders around, running far and wide, but she finds nothing. Accepting this as another one of the pranks that god has pulled on her since day one, she succumbs to the exhaustion until she's finally saved by a little girl named Colette.

Many would be reminded of the first interaction between Rukia and Ichigo in this scene since she's all alive and kicking because of that very same ‘power transfer formula.’ Now, granted the ability to understand the language and perform all these different tasks, the game is on. Mitsuha Yamano is undoubtedly here to play with a mind full of cheat codes to finesse the system!

A Totally New Take on the Genre

You know how isekai titles have only been reduced to these 'drawn out' dreams of people. If someone sees something in a dream and the bits they remember, they draw or write it out. Well, this time, someone was thinking a lot about their retirement plans, and they indeed came up with the perfect hack to grow money exponentially, even without watching Andrew Tate's videos. So, how things work in ‘Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement’ is that you can take something from the real world to this new world and sell it for gold. Yes, real gold that doesn't disappear or fade away during the ‘universe leap’ or anything.

Even in this new world, gold remains one of the most valuable resources, elevating the experience of visiting a third-world country as a first-world citizen to a new height. Mitsuha Yamano skillfully invests the money she gains from the exchange, ensuring that Shark Tank isn't the sole source of knowledge for young women seeking new and improved investment schemes. The show follows Mitsuha Yamano's journey as she earns money in various ways, aiming to reach the 80,000 mark, which will signal the end of this farce and allow her to retire and lead a fulfilling life.

Almost Zero Characters

Now, it's not like the show has zero characters. But one look at the show and you'll notice immediately that all the attention went into the design of Mitsuha Yamano. But this is solidified even further when you're a few episodes into the show since there isn't another face that gets even a tenth of her screen time. It's like the show throws these different characters on the screen, all to support our protagonist in one way or another, and by the time she's gone on to doing something on her own, they just fade away into nothing. This gives Mitsuha Yamano a genuine touch, forcing her to start everything afresh.

However, the show quickly abandons this setting when, within a few episodes, the girl begins to challenge Maomao. You won't be able to name a single character by the time you're done with the show, and the show suffers a lot from this non-existent character department if you ask me. A setting such as this, which introduces a fresh perspective on the isekai genre, would have significantly benefited from including characters with vibrant personalities and quirky humor, each contributing unique elements. But sadly, that doesn't happen, and that ends up with the show suddenly losing a lot of points.

Maintaining an Average

Apart from all this, the animation and sound are standard. As I stated earlier, the animation budget has gone into making Mitsuha look the best possible, with the rest of the show getting nothing. I don't believe the sound plays a significant role in a show like this. Additionally, the show loses its momentum in the mid to late episodes, which makes watching the final two or three episodes quite challenging. I can't even count the number of times I went to sleep while watching those episodes. I had to start watching the show first thing in the morning since the ‘nighttime binges’ were not letting me complete the show for good.

Isekai shows have started to spawn from every direction possible. Having a new anime seasonal lineup and not having many isekai shows ready to consume your minutes and hours from every direction possible is impossible. These newer ideas, which at least offer something fresh, are not lost on anyone. ‘Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement’ does the same but fails at the execution. I think the show could’ve been a lot better, and it could’ve given ‘Farming Life in Another World’ another isekai from the same seasonal lineup, a tough competition. But it’s as if the studio stopped caring about the show after a couple of episodes, and that’s something noticeable when you watch it. If you're a fan of the isekai genre and seeking a fresh experience, I highly recommend giving the show a chance. Or, of course, if you want to have a good night’s rest and just can’t seem to sleep, it works pretty well for that, too. I don’t judge either way; you guys do you.

As for the rating, I’ll give it a solid 7. I liked the concept, and Mitsuha as a protagonist wasn’t bad either. My only problem with the show was that it was lacking in the ways through which it aimed to achieve that ‘end goal,’ and the character department was non-existent for the most part. The show could’ve been so different and better had they focused more on these areas. But let’s see if we get a second season; probably not since this just didn’t manage to capture an audience. Reading the light novel and following the story's progression after the show concludes would be more beneficial. It's such wasted potential. Honestly, the show really could’ve been something way better than it is!